It ended in thrilling fashion, all attacking abandon and devoid of defensive discipline. In reality, it was desperate stuff. Both sides knew they could not afford to drop points here and both might now fear their season’s goal slipping away.

Yet it was undoubtedly the crueller blow for Wigan and Roberto Martinez. After conceding a comical opening goal, they had dominated the second half, held the lead until the 90th minute then conceded a poor equaliser from a free-kick that Martinez claimed should never have been given.

Despite it all, the Wigan manager remains resolutely positive. ‘The performance was as good as it gets,’ he said. The comment was not without susbstance, for Tottenham were made to look ordinary in the second half.

‘It doesn’t feel like a defeat,’ he
insisted. ‘We know we have 12 points to fight for. We never make it easy
for ourselves but if we perform like we did here we’ll be competitive.’

It is true they can still get out of
this situation. Likewise, Tottenham may still qualify for the Champions
League, but a season of such great promise is once again in danger of
turning stale.

‘At this stage it’s difficult,’ said
Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas. ‘Normally you would say it is a point
gained away from home. But the win was so important for both teams and
both had a go at each other.’

He is now left hoping Manchester United can defeat Arsenal today and Swansea can take something at Stamford Bridge.

It was the 90th-minute free-kick, awarded to Tottenham for a foul on Kyle Walker by Jean Beausejour, that frustrated Martinez.

‘If you see the replay it puts extra
salt in the wounds,’ he said. ‘It was never a free-kick. Kyle Walker is
pulling Jean Beausejour. He’s too honest, stays on his feet and we get
punished. There’s nothing we can do. If screaming and shouting would get
the extra two points, I would do it, believe me. But we can’t do
anything about the decision. The referee had a good game but that was a
key decision.’

Tottenham took the lead in the ninth
minute with the most embarrassing goal to be scored so far this season.
Maynor Figueroa and goalkeeper Joel Robles decided to indulge in a
little keep-ball — which is as you would expect from this Wigan team —
but they remained remarkably lax as Tottenham pressed.

Figueroa hit a
loose ball to Robles and Gareth Bale sprinted at the keeper, who
attempted another pass but simply hit Bale three yards out and went into
the goal.

‘We had the worst possible start but from that moment on we
were magnificent,’ said Martinez.

It was a truly humiliating,
dispiriting opening for Wigan but within two minutes they had remedied
it, as a Shaun Maloney corner was met by a thundering header from
Emmerson Boyce.

It took a great challenge from
Figueroa to deny Jermain Defoe on 29 minutes — a tackle that would
eventually see the defender carried off injured.

Bale headed over after Kyle Naughton
found him at the far post on 44 minutes and it then required an
excellent double save from Robles after Defoe sprinted through three
defenders. The goalkeeper sprawled at his feet and grabbed the ball away
from Defoe, then Parker.

Level headed: Wigan's Emmerson Boyce rises to head the equaliser

But Spurs were faltering. Bale was
below his best, James McCarthy having been detailed to subdue him and
performing the task with gusto. ‘You saw a lesson of incredible tactical
awareness from a British player,’ said Martinez.

Wigan struck first in the second half,
playing the ball across the face of goal in characteristic fashion
until McCarthy found Callum McManaman. He stepped inside Naughton and
let fly with a tremendous strike that swerved to beat Hugo Lloris.

Wigan should have secured their win
with a third goal. Arouna Kone left Michael Dawson on the floor on 82
minutes but Lloris saved at point-blank range. Franco Di Santo curled a
shot wide from 20 yards after 84 minutes.

Emmerson Boyce (3rd left) of Wigan Athletic rises to head the equaliser

But Wigan looked in control until
Beausejour was judged to have fouled Walker in the final minute. Tom
Huddlestone drove in the free-kick and Lewis Holtby’s touch deflected
off Emmerson Boyce, then ricocheted off Robles to go in.

A frantic four minutes of added time
ensued. Shaun Maloney and Ronnie Stam wasted good Wigan chances, while
Bale was inches away from turning in a Clint Dempsey cross.

At the death, Bale lined up a
free-kick 20 yards out and you feared for Wigan. He struck it well but
Robles parried before blocking Huddlestone as the final whistle sounded.

Agony: Maynor Figueroa is treated on the pitch before being carried off injured

On the slide: Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur tackles Arouna Kone

Feeling it: Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas

Up for it: Tottenham's Benoit Assou-Ekotto (left) and Wigan Athletic's Ronnie Stam battle for the ball